Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Staffan Bjorklund lives life to the fullest. He skis, he climbs, he travels, and when he’s not leading hiking tours for Ryder-Walker, he competes in endurance races like the Ö Till Ö, dubbed “one of the toughest 1-day races in the world” by race organizers.

Competitors in the Ö Till Ö, Swedish for “Island to Island,” traverse 19 islands in the archipelago of Sweden. They swim, they run, and they repeat, entering and exiting the frigid Baltic Sea nearly 40 times during the course of the race. The event includes 10 km of swimming and 54 km of running.

It takes discipline and a lot of training to enter a race like the Ö Till Ö, which is something that Bjorklund knows quite well. He’s been training for the race all summer, despite a heavy workload of guiding and research for Ryder-Walker.

Did they know that he slipped out after dinner for a midnight climb on the Tour du Mont Blanc? (It can be pretty dark out there without a headlamp).

Here he is conducting research and training at the same time. (Those are the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks in the background).

This year’s Ö Till Ö takes place on Monday, September 5, 2011. Follow Staffan’s training progress, learn more about the race, and read about his life as a Ryder-Walker guide at his blog: staffanbjorklund.blogspot.com

Thursday, August 25, 2011

The four best months for hiking Ireland's Dingle Peninsula are April, May, September and October. You can certainly hike during the other months, but, in our opinion, these four months offer the best chance for minimal rain, agreeable temperatures and good visibility.

April and May might seem a long way off, but September and October are just around the corner. Looking for a fun fall getaway? The time is now! Check out Ireland | The Dingle Way.

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

I've attached a photo to give you all a laugh. I call it "The New Jersey Trek." We went to the Grounds for Sculpture near Princeton with the Whitears, Nanette and Cathy Lee, (all R-W regulars), when they visited the Snyders and us in New Jersey.

From left to right your happy repeat customers are: Jim Snyder, Ray Fortin, (the guy who's part of the sculpture), Diane Whitear, Cathy Lee, Aubrey Whitear, Nanette Hull, Blythe Fortin and Sarah Snyder. This group has been on a total of over 40 R-W treks.

There is something so special about bonds formed on the trail. We have all become great friends, despite seeing each other only every year or so. It's the magic of Ryder-Walker and the Alps!

Thanks again,

Blythe

*To Blythe and the gang,

Our thanks to you too! It's the guests like you that make our treks truly "magical." Here's to another 40 more trips.

Celebrating 33 Years!

We are the Global Trekking Specialists. Founded in 1984, Ryder-Walker Alpine Adventures specializes in handcrafted hiking itineraries that explore the most stunning landscapes on the planet. From private and small group guided adventures, to fully custom self guided tours, we make it easy to realize the perfect adventure vacation. Visit ryderwalker.com and begin the journey of a lifetime!